


Taking Care Of Business

by LuceTheGoose



Series: A Dragon Among Thieves [1]
Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Angst, F/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 11:36:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17243531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuceTheGoose/pseuds/LuceTheGoose
Summary: Kaiya, Skyrim's hot mess of a Dragonborn with a tortured past and a drinking problem, finds herself lost and in need of purpose after handling the Alduin threat. After some well-timed and clever pleas from Brynjolf, she decides to come out of her debauchery filled retirement and join the Thieves Guild. When she meets the dark and brooding Guildmaster, her purpose becomes clear: make that sexy SOB fall in love with her. Little does she know, she's joining the guild and tempting the Guildmaster at the worst possible time...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is my attempt to answer the challenge of "is it possible to write Mercer Frey into a Byronic hero?" I don't claim ownership of any of the characters in this story except Kaiya, and I tried to stick to canon as much as possible throughout. As I wrote this story, I imagined that anyone reading it would have a basic knowledge of the game and specifically the Thieves Guild questline, so that I could just write in the gray areas and not retell the story everyone already knows. My heroes are flawed and tragic, and are by no means healthy, but I hope you come to love them as much as I do.
> 
> There are a lot of references to dates throughout this story, so if you find yourself getting confused, check out [this calendar](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Calendar#Skyrim_Calendar). 
> 
> If you're interested, [ here is the playlist ](https://open.spotify.com/user/samanthastroupe/playlist/5kWn2UhP8Ni3rdfnExsmQi?si=5CYTljBcT2yCfOxHbXHsWw) I put together for this story.

_2nd of Sun's Dusk 4E202_

 

Kaiya awoke with a start. Sitting up straight and breathing hard, she looked around, trying to familiarize herself with her surroundings enough to anchor her racing thoughts to reality.

 _It was a dream,_  she thought.  _Just a dream. Breathe. I'm in an inn. I'm in bed. I'm alo.."_  before she could finish her rumination, the furs moved next to her with a groan. She jumped out of bed and took up a fighting stance, an instinct bred from years of living recklessly.

 _I'm not alone. I'm… naked. OK. Breathe Kai. Think._ She slammed her eyes shut in concentration, trying to replay the previous night's events in her mind. She remembered arriving in Riften. She remembered walking into the Bee and Barb and ordering a bottle of mead. So she was in the Bee and Barb, good. She remembered having a few conversations with her fellow patrons. As her memories of the night continued on, they became more and more hazy. She vaguely remembered having a conversation with one man in particular, although the identity of the man escaped her. There was a dubious recollection of running up the stairs and closing the door behind her with the faceless stranger. Her eyes opened wide.

"Oh gods…" she whispered to the quiet room, her head slowly turning to focus on the bulk under the covers of her bed. She leaned over, bending at the waist to try to see over the shoulder of her unidentified companion, his face obscured by the furs. With one hand, she slowly pulled the obstruction away, revealing long, dark brown hair tied with a strap of leather. She jumped back with a gasp.

_Who is that?_

She leaned over again, this time adamant to solve the mystery before her. As she stared, brows furrowed in concentration, the man began to move, rolling onto his back. She startled, backing off a bit before taking in the features of the unknown bedmate. Dark eyebrows, a stupid patch of hair just below his bottom lip, a pronounced, Imperial nose. Her hand covered her mouth at the realization.

 _Marcurio!?_  She backed away, her hand sliding down her face and hanging limp by her side.

As her cheeks reddened with embarrassment at the realization, she began to move frantically, grabbing her black mage robe from the stone floor and throwing it over her in clumsy haste to cover her bare form.  _Not again. Come on Kaiya. Get your shit together._  Her mind raced with the inevitable self-loathing that usually followed one of her drunken nights like this. Under her breath, she rattled off prayers to Dibella, Mara, whatever deity would listen to her desperate pleas to remain unnoticed. These prayers were routine to her at this point, promising this wouldn't happen again. She would stop with the nights that resulted in black outs and bad decisions. She would be better, this time she was serious. On and on she rattled off mindless pleas to deities who had long stopped listening while she scrambled around the room for her things. Her sword belt was on the table. She found one boot in the corner, pulling it on before spotting its counterpart under the bed.

However, In her aim to leave before the mage was awake, she failed to notice his position had changed. There he laid, propped up on one elbow as he watched her reaching under the bed for her missing boot.

"Well good morning, sunshine."

Kaiya froze, her foot halfway into the recently retrieved boot as she sat on the floor. While her thoughts screamed obscenities at the situation she found herself in, outwardly she gathered her composure, falling back on her signature nonchalance.

"Morning Marcurio."

The process of dressing now complete, she pushed herself to her feet while wiping off dust from the floor that had attached to her robes. She adjusted her blades and absentmindedly checked her neck for the familiar feeling of the chain she always wore, complete with the silver ring that dangled off of it. She could feel his stare boring into her but she could not bring herself to look up and face him, imagining the smug look he must have plastered across his face.

"I told you Kaiya, you can run away all you want but you always find your way back to my bed" he bragged, bringing both hands behind his head as he stretched out on his back. Kaiya cringed at the pompous tone of his statement, opting to stay silent as to not prolong this encounter any further. Interpreting her lack of response as speechlessness, he grinned as he looked towards her.

"No need to be shy. We both know you're no untouched maiden."

Her head snapped up at his taunt, anger flaring in her expression. "Don't mistake my regret for fucking you with shame of my long lost virtue, Marcurio" she spat at him, venom in her words. His grin did not waver, which caused her to groan and roll her eyes as she stomped towards the exit.

"Leaving so soon, my lusty Breton mage?" he cooed, reveling in her rising temper. "Fuck off, Marc" was all she said as she stormed out the room, slamming the door behind her and leaving the Imperial to grin by himself.


	2. Chapter 2

_2nd of Sun's Dusk 4E202_

Kaiya bounded down the stairs of the Bee and Barb, feeling the need to flee the room she had rented as if it were on fire. As she hurried towards the door, she heard snickering from the few patrons up early enough to witness her walk of shame.

"Have a good night, Breton?" she heard Keerava call out to her from behind the bar, followed by stifled laughter from the rest of the onlookers. With one hand on the door she paused, her thoughts racing to find the words she needed to play coy. Throwing on a smirk of confidence, she looked over her shoulder to toss a quip at her audience. "Ya win some, ya lose some but that's the way it goes when you're actually getting laid, right Aerin?" she taunted, winking at the infamously unsullied Imperial before pushing open the doors and making her way outside.

The sudden assault of sunlight as she stepped out of the inn made her flinch, her eyes slowly adjusting to the contrast. It was apparently later than she thought. The market in the city's center was bustling with activity, merchants yelling over each other while prospective consumers made their way around the stands. Rather than think on the massive mistake she made the night before a moment longer, Kaiya began aimlessly wandering through the merchant stalls, chewing on an old frost mirriam leaf she had found in her robe and looking through the items each vendor had to offer with no intention of purchasing anything.

She took the opportunity at Madesi's stand to check her frightful reflection in the looking glass he provided for customers trying on his jewelry. He eyed her with barely concealed humor as she ran her fingers through her wild, blonde mane in an attempt to tame her disheveled appearance. Once she was content with at least looking human again, she moved on without a word to the chuckling Argonian.

She found her way over to the forge at the Scorched Hammer, the resident blacksmith unaware of her approach as he worked a blade across the hide stretched on the tanning rack.

"Concentrating pretty hard on caressing that leather, eh Balimund?" she joked as she hopped up to sit on his armorer's workbench.

The Nord looked over his shoulder, surprised that someone would be so forward before he spotted the Breton, sitting with a grin on his workbench and swinging her legs back and forth. He stood, giving Kaiya a smile that seemed to take up his entire face before making his way over to where she sat.

"Hey there stranger," he said as he devoured her tiny frame into a giant hug. "Here to get your armor repaired so you can change out of that ridiculous robe?"

"What an incredibly Nord thing to say, Bal" she laughed, rolling her eyes. "And for your information, I'm just here to say hi. I'm on vacation!" she exclaimed, lifting her arms in the air to add effect.

"Vacation?" His eyes narrowed at her, suspecting some foul play. "Dragonborns get vacations?"

"When they're done saving the world they do."

"Hmph" he grumbled, looking at her with a dose of cynicism. "So what brings you to Riften?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly, surprising herself and the blacksmith with her candor. She hurried to explain further. "I mean, I don't remember deciding to come here, but here I am" she held out her arms to the sides as if putting herself on display, hoping that the humor she added to her tone would keep him from asking more pointed questions.

In reality, Kaiya had no more motive to be in Riften that day than she had to be in the Misty Grove after a night with Sanguine. This had been her life the past few months, a series of drunken hijinks as she wandered from hold to hold. While she continuously told herself that soon she would settle down and be a respectable hero of Skyrim, she couldn't seem to bring herself to stop. Why should she? She'd argue with herself, downing mead after mead, ale after ale. She no longer had anything to do, no one needed her, she was done saving the world, so why not enjoy some free time? The people of Skyrim seemed to love this side of her, happily guzzling down the rounds she bought for entire taverns. Plenty of men had reason to love her recklessness as well, as she consistently found herself jumping into bed with whatever man seemed the most interesting on a given night. Yet morning after morning, hangover after hangover, she woke with the same feeling of emptiness. The same feeling of loneliness. None of these men compared to  _him_ , the one that had apparently ruined her for all others.

Balimund graciously let her strange explanation slide without further challenge, a raised eyebrow the only evidence of any skepticism. Since it seemed she would be there for a while, he resigned himself to continue working while they talked. Picking up a steel sword from a nearby weapon rack, he sat down at the grindstone, one foot slowly urging it into motion. As he fell into a familiar routine at the stone, he looked up from his work to ask his now quiet visitor another question.

"So you're telling me you don't have any heroic battles planned to clear out a bandit camp for the Jarl today or anything?" Her eyes met the blacksmith's as she beamed, "nope!"

"And you're not bored to tears?" he asked, deciding a more blunt approach was necessary. Her smile faltered, but only for an instant. She looked down at her feet, then back up to the smith, her expression much more contemplative than the grin she wore a moment before. "Honestly Balimund? Yeah, I'm a little bored."

"Then why are you hanging out in Riften, for divines' sake!" he thundered at her over the sound of metal on stone. "You used to complain about how busy you were before, griping that you had no time for a social life or a relationship or anything for yourself. Well now you have time, so why aren't you holed up in some cabin banging some hot, young Stormcloak or something?!" his eyes focused on her face as she winced.

Kaiya let out a surprised laugh at Balimund's words, not expecting such brashness from the old smith. But if Kaiya was good at anything, it was avoidance. Her lips curved into a predatory smile, demonstrating clearly that the moment of contemplation was over and the casual, nonchalant Kaiya had returned. "How do you know I'm not bangin' Stormcloaks?"

His brows knit together in frustration at her attempt to dodge his point but before he could respond, she continued. "How do you know I'm not in Riften looking for my next conquest?" she asked, her face morphing into sheer mischief.

She leaned towards the unamused blacksmith, using as much of her small body as possible to accentuate her smugness. "There are two things I enjoy doing" she explained, counting off her list on her fingers. "First, I enjoy drinking myself into oblivion. Second, I enjoy soulless, emotionless romps with random strangers." She grinned, "Take those hobbies and the fact that I finally have a few gold to spend and you can figure out the rest." Her smug grin turned wicked, accompanying her sinful tone. "Retirement has been downright licentious, Bal."

In her quest to prove herself to Balimund by playing coy, she ended up confessing much more truth than she intended. She was trying to make her life sound as though she was living out some fantasy, but just as any fantasy is rarely as great in reality as it was imagined, her life after Alduin was not what she hoped it'd be. If she was being honest with herself, which she rarely was anymore, she would admit that she missed the good old days. The days when her journal was full of jobs and missions, when she moved through Skyrim with ambition.

Balimund was quiet for a few tense moments, staring at the wheel of his grindstone as he contemplated his next move. This conversation had turned into something he had not expected and he was unsure of how far he wanted to push the Dragonborn in her obvious denial.

"Retirement, Kaiya?" he finally responded, giving her a look of disbelief. "You're the godsdamned Dragonborn, girl. You're not some weapon to hang on display to commemorate some event, you're the hero of Skyrim."

"Really Balimund" she said quizzically, "you're going to come at me with a Blacksmith allegory? Where'd you get that from, Blacksmith Parables Vol II?" she laughed, now on a rampage. "What's next? Oh! Oh, please tell me that I'm like steel and I just need to be shaped!" She put her hands together as if praying, mock pleading with the smith. "Oh gods please tell me I just need to strike while the iron's hot!" She snickered, hopping off the workbench to indicate that she assumed that was the final blow of the argument.

Balimund shook his head at her impudence, a small smile forming on his face. "You're a real pain in the ass, Kai" he murmured before dropping his voice into a more serious tone. "Look Kaiya, I'm not trying to tell you how to live your life. You're a grown woman and you can make your own decisions." She nodded patronizingly, as if this was the exact point she'd been making. His face, in contrast, showed nothing but concern, which made the Dragonborn uneasy. She knew what came after that look.

"I'm just saying it seems like you need to find some purpose, is all."

And there it was, the final blow. That word.  _Purpose_. Her head dropped to stare at the ground as she fidgeted uncomfortably under Balimund's gaze, absentmindedly spinning the ring she wore around her neck in her fingers. She looked up after a few quiet moments, a smile on her lips in an attempt to disguise how piercing his statement had really been. She could not bring herself to meet his eyes, her own gleaming with moisture on the verge of spilling over. She let out a single, awkward laugh and cleared her throat, trying desperately to stave off any type of emotional outburst. Balimund stood from the grindstone and approached her but she took a step back in response, eyes and mouth closed tightly as she shook her head quickly back and forth.

"Whew!" she cried out with a forced exhale, beginning to laugh off the moment. Her hands came up to dry the bottom of her eyes as she finally seemed to pull herself out of whatever hole she had been falling into.

"Damn Bal, how 'bout wait until I'm wearing armor before you take a blow like that!"

He laughed, pulling her into another smothering hug. "And you thought my allegory was dreadful."


	3. Chapter 3

_2nd of Sun's Dusk 4E202_

She took her leave from the Blacksmith with a promise that she would take care of herself and find something worthwhile to spend her time on. With one last giant Nord bear hug, the type that never failed to make her feel downright dainty, she left.

She was loathe to admit it, but she really wanted a drink after that conversation. It had been much more onerous than she would have ever expected, giving new life to the ever present, constant hum in the back of her mind that she tried so hard to silence.

To herself, barely audible, she spoke. "Just join a guild or somethin', Kai" she mocked, mimicking the words of the Blacksmith from moments earlier. "Meet some people, make some friends, bang a Stormcloak" she continued, walking in no particular direction. She let out a single humorless laugh, "yeah, I'm too damn sober for this shit" she concluded, giving herself the excuse she needed to justify more mead.

She looked around for a destination, quickly dismissing the Bee and Barb from her options. There was no way in Oblivion she was walking back in there after last night. Haelga's was also out of the question since it had been added to her blacklist during her last visit to Riften. The only option left to her was the Black-Briar Meadery and while she detested the woman who owned the place, she had no other choice.

As she made her way towards the door to the meadery, she was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. Whoever it was didn't turn her around, but instead just leaned against her back and spoke into her ear.

"Care to join me for a drink, lass?"

She turned to face the familiar rogue behind her, shooting him a look of incredulity. "You know the rules, Brynjolf. If you're buying, I'm drinking."

He rolled his eyes at her answer but it seemed to be good enough for him as he placed his hand in the small of her back, directing her towards the Bee and Barb. When she realized where they were headed, she put a hand out to stop him, causing a knowing smirk to appear on his face. "What's the matter, lass? The Barb not good enough for ya anymore?"

She glared in his direction. "Not today, Bryn."

"Bad night?" he asked, feigning ignorance.

"Not sure, don't remember. This morning sure was awkward though," she joked, bringing forth a familiar, amused crinkle at the corner of her companion's eyes. "I've had some good memories in that inn, but I am perfectly content with never stepping foot in there again."

Brynjolf let out a genuine laugh at her shamelessness before conceding, "You win, lass. Black-Briar Meadery it is then."

With bottles in hand, they settled in at the table in the corner of the meadery. Kaiya relaxed, propping her feet up on an unoccupied chair as she took a long sip. "So, to what do I owe this pleasure, Bryn?"

"Right to the point, aren't ya?" he teased, eyes playful as they watched for her response.

"Oh come off it, ya damn swindler" she retorted, irritated with his charm. "I appreciate the mead, but I know you well enough to know that you won't spend a septim on anyone unless you see some type of opportunity, so out with it."

"You already know what I'm going to say, lass" he said, not easing off his charm in the slightest.

She groaned, taking another long sip from her bottle. "Figures."

"I don't understand why I haven't seen you in the Flagon yet," he continued, leaning across the table towards her. "You were magnificent that day in the market and seemed to really enjoy yourself. I just don't understand the hesitation."

"I told you Brynjolf, I have no desire to join your little thief club."

"Guild!" he growled defensively through clenched teeth, a little louder than he intended. "It's a guild!" He looked around, ensuring he had not piqued anyone's interest into their conversation with his outburst. She laughed, taking another sip from her bottle before dropping her feet from the chair and turning to face him at the table.

"Fine" she sighed dramatically, smirking at the irritated Nord sitting across from her. "You've got my attention, Bryn."

"Just come down and see what we're about," he urged. "If you don't think it's for you, you'll be free to go on your way and I'll leave you alone about it once and for all."

One eyebrow raised in cautious interest as she contemplated his proposal. "You drive a hard bargain, I'll give you that. You're lucky you caught me on a particularly boring day."

Determined not to lose the small window of opportunity she had just presented to him, Brynjolf turned the full brunt of his charm onto her, leaning forward as if he were about to let her in on a closely guarded secret. A devious smile crept onto his face and his eyes, magnetic and full of tantalizing promise, locked her in.

"Come on lass, what've you got to lose?"

* * *

_3rd of Sun's Dusk 4E202_

Lydia was tired. She had been out in the Plains district for most of the afternoon, bartering with vendors and talking with the residents of Whiterun, answering the same questions she got every day. "Where's the Dragonborn at these days? When will the Dragonborn be back?" Always about the Dragonborn, as if she knew any better than they did where her Thane was. She would answer them the same way every time, "I'm not sure, but I'll let you know if I hear anything from her." Did no one else notice that their conversations never changed?

She fumbled in her pockets with her free hand for the key to Breezehome, the other arm full with food and supplies she had purchased at the market. With a click, the door unlocked and groaned open, allowing the housecarl to step inside, shutting the door behind her with her foot. She moved into the dining area and set down her load, arms aching with the effort. She tilted her head to the left then right, stretching out her sore muscles when she heard the faintest creak in the wooden boards above her head.

Her senses perked up, suddenly alert at the possibility that she was not alone. She quietly unsheathed the sword at her side and crept up the stairs, pausing on each one as to not make the same mistake as the intruder. As she stepped onto the landing, she heard the soft rustling of fabric and the muffled sound of a grunt. She zeroed in on the direction of the noise, no doubt coming from her Thane's bedroom. She took a deep breath to ready her nerves before she made her move.

With a fierce battle cry and her sword held high, the Nord flung open the door to the master bedroom, charging in. She was met with the terrified shriek of the intruder, who tried to run away before slamming into the foot of the bed and hitting the floor, hard. Lydia stopped in her tracks by the sight, holding back laughter. There was her Thane, squirming around on the floor, bottom half only covered by her underclothes while the top half struggled to free herself from a tight black and red cuirass.

Lydia watched in amusement as the Dragonborn continued to writhe on the floor until her energy waned, resigning to lay still, her head, arms and torso still completely trapped in the oppressive garment. "Do what you will," she sighed, "I have no fight left." The housecarl could not hold back her laughter any longer, and her entire body shook from the force.

"I do believe this may be the easiest victory I've ever achieved," Lydia squeaked, tears running down her face. "And against the almighty Dragonborn, no less." The half cuirass, half human figure turned to face the Nord, making Lydia laugh even harder at the ridiculousness of it all.

"Lydia?!" the Dragonborn shrieked, relieved and mortified at the same time. "Sweet Sithis Lydia, if you tell anyone about this I swear I'll kill you."

"I'm sure you will, my Thane."

Still giggling to herself, Lydia could not resist helping the poor, pathetic Dragonborn out of her trap any longer. She bent over and picked the tiny Breton up with ease, propping her up on her feet. Grabbing the bottom of the leather cuirass, she pulled as the other squirmed, working together to free her head through the appropriate hole. Kaiya gasped, finally able to breathe easily again while Lydia continued to help her put on the rest of her armor.

"I uh," Kaiya uttered, embarrassed, "I guess I've changed a bit since I last squeezed into these bad boys."

Lydia took a step back to look at her Thane, standing in obvious discomfort at the tightness of her leather armor. "Yeah Kaiya, a lifestyle of nothing but mead'll do that to you."

Kaiya's eyes narrowed at her housecarl, knowing full well she looked far too ridiculous at the moment to disagree. "Dammit Lydia, help me out of these will ya?"

The corner of Lydia's mouth turned up into a playful smile before acquiescing to the Dragonborn's request. "What were you putting these on for anyway?"

"Hmph, uh, I've got a thing I gotta do," the Dragonborn grumbled as Lydia peeled the armor off of her, pulling her body around with it.

"A thing, huh?" Lydia taunted, though she had no intention of prying any further. If she knew anything about her Thane it was that trying to get her to spill information she did not care to spill was an exercise in futility. "Why not just wear your robes?"

"I wanted a bit of a change, I'm bored with robes." Lydia rolled her eyes at her Thane's restlessness. "But I need to be sleek and stealthy," Kaiya replied, looking over her old Dark Brotherhood leathers as they laid crumpled on the floor. "Plus, my robes smell like a Skeever den right now."

"Don't you have robes that match those leathers?" Lydia asked innocently, nodding her head towards the armor on the floor. She was referring to her Thane's shrouded robes and although Lydia did not know what those robes were originally for, she knew the Dragonborn used to wear them often when a job called for her to stay hidden. Kaiya seemed to get nervous at the question, perplexing the well-meaning housecarl.

"Yeah, I uh.." Kaiya mumbled in response, "I lost those robes."

"You OK, boss?" Lydia asked, noticing her Thane's sudden anxiety. Kaiya was fidgeting around on the balls of her feet, eyes fixated on nothing in particular and her fingers absentmindedly fondling the ring she kept on a chain around her neck.

"What?" Kaiya's attention snapped back to the conversation, "Yeah. Yeah I'm fine. I'll just have to wear the stinky robes. It'll be fine." She nodded, seemingly trying to convince herself of this statement as much as the housecarl.

"Okaaaaay," Lydia responded, confused at what caused the sudden change. "Come on, Kai. You've got to at least have another robe you can wear. Or let me wash the stinky one."

"Yeah I have other robes," Kaiya answered with hesitation, anxiously fondling the ring around her neck while bouncing around, obviously trying to release some nervous tension. "But don't worry about it. Let's go downstairs and have a drink. The stinky ones are fine."

"As your housecarl, I can't let you out of Whiterun smelling like a skeever, Kai." Lydia chided. "Where do you keep your robes?" she asked as she begun to open one of the drawers to the dresser.

"No, not that one!" Kaiya cried out, but it was too late.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaiya is not okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smell is the sense tied closest with memory...

_3rd of Sun's Dusk 4E202_

As Lydia pulled open the drawer, they were both assaulted by the overwhelming odor of smoke and oil that clung to the fabric of the robes inside. Lydia coughed in surprise, waving her arm in front of her face to dispel the stench. "Talos, Kai! These things stink! Oh look, it's the robe you said you lost..." She looked over her shoulder towards her Thane, preparing to lecture her on the importance of washing her clothes before she put them away when she noticed Kaiya's blank, panicked expression.

That smell.

Kaiya sat on the edge of her bed, frozen in place at the onslaught of memories brought on by the smell. Her eyes were wide, staring forward at nothing, her posture rigid and straight. The only part of her that moved at all was the frantic, erratic dancing of her fingers, desperately rolling the ring around her neck in circles.

Lydia was baffled, "Kaiya! What in Oblivion is going on?" The Dragonborn continued to stare forward, now clutching the ring around her neck in her hand as tears started to form in her eyes.

"Lydia. I need you do to me a favor." Her voice was an eerie calm, casting a formidable tone to her words.

"Anything, what is it?"

"I need you to wash those robes for me, please. Wash them until they don't smell that way anymore. Take them from this house and wash them until they smell like lavender or mountain flower or fuck, they can smell like a damn troll for all I care, just please make them stop smelling like that."

Lydia nodded, rushing downstairs with the offending garments and out the door. The thought of what could have happened to make them smell the way they did terrified her, but not as much as it seemed to terrify her Thane.

The door to Breezehome slammed as Lydia rushed out, leaving Kaiya alone in her smallclothes, trying to piece herself back together. She slowly laid back onto her bed, rolling onto her side and pulling her knees up to her chest. With her eyes squeezed tightly shut, the memories began.

* * *

_**15th of Last Seed 4E201** _

Kaiya heaved open the doors to Dead Man's Drink as she stumbled in, tripping on her newly acquired monk robes that were much too long. The doors slammed behind her, causing Kaiya to wince.

_Sure Kai, draw MORE attention to yourself. That was the plan._

She was lucky that she had arrived in Falkreath so early. There were very few residents awake at the hour, and even fewer of them had made their way to the inn. She slowly glided her way up to the counter, trying to be as graceful as possible in the robes that were practically swallowing her small frame. Casually, she threw her elbow up on the counter to give the barkeep a charismatic grin, hoping that made up for the awkward entrance. The barkeep stared back at her with a raised eyebrow, undoubtedly too interested to see where this would go to be the one to speak first.

"Anything good on the menu for a traveling priestess?" Kaiya asked, throwing as much charm as possible into the question.

At this, the barkeep's face morphed from skeptical interest into one of recognition. "You must be Runil's new apprentice!" A smile stretched across the Imperial's face, excited to have the opportunity of being the first to meet the anticipated new arrival.

_Uh oh. Who?!_

Time to turn up the charm. "Right yes, the new apprentice to Runil, priest of…"

"Arkay!" the barkeep beamed.

"Yes, Arkay. I'm the new apprentice priestess of Arkay. Benevolence of Arkay upon you, my child. And your name?" Kaiya diverted, trying desperately to take attention away from herself.

"I'm Valga. This is my inn, Dead Man's Drink. Would you like something to eat, Priestess? Unfortunately, I am unable to give it to you on the house, but I would be happy to serve you."

"Oh," Kaiya responded, putting on the air of a highly disappointed holy woman. "Well this is most unfortunate. As I spent my last septim on the carriage to travel here, I have nothing to offer you for food. Is there nothing you could spare for a poor, hungry priestess of Arkay?"

Before Valga could reply, a voice chimed in from the darkened corner, startling both barkeep and Priestess.

"Valga are you really going to let this poor woman go hungry? She's a priestess for divines' sake! Just give her whatever she wants and put it on my tab. I, for one, do not want to anger the gods today." The voice said, low and rumbling, like the sound stones made when they grinded into each other.

Valga's face went red with embarrassment, as she nodded once towards the voice and once towards the hungry priestess, standing before her. "What will you have?" she asked, unable to make eye contact with the priestess any longer. Kaiya smirked. "I don't mean to be a bother, Valga. Whatever you have to offer would suffice." Valga nodded again, still without looking up, before taking her leave to go fetch the priestess something to eat.

"Priestess!" It was the gravelly voice again. "Come sit with me while you eat. That's all I'd ask in return."

Kaiya's instincts screamed a warning at this, but she had no choice but to comply. The voice had paid for her to be able to eat after all, and she desperately needed to eat. She approached the corner, finding an older man in black mage robes as the source of the voice, eyes narrowed at her with suspicion. She sat down across from him, mumbling a 'thank you' and some form of 'the benevolence of Arkay' to him.

"Cut the crap." The old mage spat, leaning forward to put his elbows on the table between them. Kaiya's face took on a mask of confusion, pretending to be perplexed by his statement while her mind screamed. He had seen through her performance.

The mage looked past her, indicating the incoming presence of the barkeep. They sat quietly as she was served some bread, a bowl of tomato soup and a tankard of ale. Kaiya's mouth watered at the scent, but in order to regain some of her composure, took a quick sip of her ale. As Valga walked away, the mage nodded at her food, encouraging her to eat. She leapt at the opportunity, devouring the meal in front of her.

"A word of advice," said the mage as Kaiya gorged herself, his eyes crinkling at the corners with what seemed to be sheer amusement at the current situation. "While I thoroughly respect your choice of disguise, next time consider learning a thing or two about the deity you claim to represent first."

Kaiya closed her eyes in shame before opening them to find the mage still wearing the same amused expression. "That obvious, huh?" she mumbled, mouth full of bread.

The mage laughed, "well first of all, 'benevolence' is a blessing used by priests of Mara, not Arkay." Kaiya shrugged sheepishly at her mistake. She did not know much about the 8 (or was it 9?) divines. The mage continued, "I'm also pretty sure Runil's going to notice he has a robe missing. You're bold, I'll give you that. Scrawny little scoundrel like yourself, stealing a robe from a high elf and trying to pass it off as your own," this caused the mage to chuckle, shaking his head at her shamelessness. "That's rich."

Kaiya nodded at the mocking compliment, eyes fixated on the mage while she continued to devour her meal. "Hey, better than what I was wearing before," she laughed, crumbs flying out of her mouth. "Why are you telling me this? You some expert on disguises, old man? Are you wearing one now? Are you really just a bunch of skeevers dressed in a mage robe?"

The mage smirked at this. "Feisty one, aren't ya? For your information, I have no use for disguises. I'm too damn old to worry about pretending to be someone I'm not. Disguises are for suckers."

Kaiya raised an eyebrow at his retort. "Touchy, are we?" she teased.

"Ha!" The mage scoffed at her jab, but then refocused, not to be deterred from his point. "Anyway," he declared, dramatically. "As I was saying, more than either of these missteps, what drew my attention to you was your hands." The mage's tone had dropped, indicating that this conversation was moving toward the serious. Kaiya's eyes darted to her hands, noticing for the first time that they were tinged with a dark red. Her stomach dropped.

"I know those stains when I see them, Priestess." the mage mocked, throwing in her false title. "Those are blood stains. No use in denying it."

She didn't deny it. She just stared at the old mage.  _Who was this man? What was happening?_  He didn't seem mad or even judgmental at the thought that she may have killed someone before she made her way into the inn. In fact, he seemed almost impressed with her.

"Where did you come from?" he asked, a note of fascination in his gravelly voice. "Who are you?"

Kaiya smirked, adding a little suspense to her answer. "Well old man," she leaned forward, with an almost predatory grin, "I could tell ya, but then I'd have to kill ya."

"I'm willing to take that risk." he responded without hesitation.

She sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes. "Well you may be observant but you sure as hell aren't good at taking hints," she teased.

"Fine." He stated, clearly not getting anywhere with the stubborn girl. "We'll start easy. What's your name?"

Kaiya took a long gulp from her tankard, wiping her mouth and letting out a sigh. She began to stand up from the table as she spoke. "I appreciate the food, old man," she said, dodging his question. "But alas, I must now go tend to the… uh… Arkay business… I have." She threw the old mage a wink before he grabbed her wrist, preventing her from leaving.

"Tell me your name, priestess."

"It's Kaiya," she answered honestly, seeing no reason to make up an alias. He'd just see through it anyway.

He released her wrist and nodded, appreciatively. "See, that wasn't so hard was it, priestess?"

"Why'd I tell you my name if you're going to keep calling me priestess, old man?" she taunted as she stood, hands on her hips. "What's your name, huh? Quid pro quo."

"Ah see," the mage smiled and shook his head. "You should have said that before you told me your name if that's what you wanted." Kaiya sighed heavily and started to turn to leave. She was in no mood for any more games. Plus, the real priest of Arkay may walk in at any moment and that would put her in a really awkward position. She had to get moving.

"Priestess!" the old man yelled as she retreated. She turned to face him. "Next time you find yourself in Falkreath, come find me!" She laughed, "And how am I supposed to do that if I don't know your name, old man?"

"Leave a message for me with Valga, she'll know what to do. Just tell her you'd like to speak with your crazy Uncle Festus."

"Sure old man," she laughed as she turned to go. "See ya around!"

"I'm sure you will" he replied to her back as she pushed open the doors and left, just as mysterious as she was when she entered.

* * *

The tears began to come as memories overtook her, first just one, sliding down her cheek, then two, then three. Before she could react, the floodgates opened. She sobbed. She sobbed harder than she thought possible, her heart feeling as if it were breaking all over again. The sobs ripped from her chest as her mind was flooded with one memory after another, her body convulsing as she cried out for someone, anyone to make it stop.

Through the sobs and torment, one hand stayed clasped, white-knuckled and defiant, holding on for life to the silver ring she wore on a chain around her neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry Kaiya :(


	5. Chapter 5

_5th of Sun's Dusk 4E202_

The cool air that accompanied nights in Riften was a blessing, calming the heat of her frayed nerves. Since she had left Whiterun, her emotions had been erratic, going from sorrow to hyperactive excitement in a matter of minutes. The incident with her old shrouded robes had really shaken her, it seemed. Unexpected flashbacks and sudden panic had become an unfortunate common occurrence for her, but she was determined to keep her current positivity in place. She was doing something! No need to think of the past any more, she was moving forward again.  _With a purpose_.

Kaiya stood at the door to the Ratway, mentally preparing herself for what was to come. Her newly clean black mage robes clung to her back where she couldn't seem to stop sweating, but her eyes stayed focused ahead. This was it. She had made this exact trip before, twice actually, to meet with one of the fences in the Thieves Guild. She shook her head, fighting off the clutches of nostalgia at the thought, and pushed inside.

She crept forward, not wanting to reveal herself to any of the Ratway's inhabitants if she didn't have to. To her surprise, there wasn't much resistance to her infiltration. She had done a pretty decent job of clearing it out before and apparently the Ratway did not repopulate quickly. After making quick work of a few skeevers and avoiding confrontation with a woman rambling off items she was in possession of, she made her way to the door of the Ragged Flagon.

_Well Kai, this is it._

She entered the underground bar, making her way to where several members of the guild were congregated. From what she could hear of their conversation, they were talking about her.

"How many times have we heard this before?" spat a thin, Imperial woman with short, blonde hair. Kaiya couldn't help but notice that everything about the woman seemed...  _sharp_. Her bone structure, her posture, her attitude.

"I'm telling you, this one's different." was Brynjolf's reply, causing Kaiya to roll her eyes and inwardly groan at his blind faith.

"Yeah, you mentioned that the last time you invited her down here, Bryn." This guy was not wearing the same armor as the rest of the congregation, but his attire immediately identified him as the barkeep to the Ragged Flagon. Kaiya scoffed in her head at this, the thought that the bartender would be weighing in on a conversation between the thieves. She made a mental note that the stereotype of bartenders knowing everything that goes on was true here too, apparently. He spoke again, "she didn't show last time and it's looking like she probably won't show this time. If she's as great as you say she is," he practically spat out the word 'great' with as much condescension as he could muster. "I would think she'd want nothing to do with us."

There was only one other thief in the room, one which Kaiya recognized. He had not contributed to the conversation with the other thieves, but instead sat at a table off to the side, drinking from a tankard. Her mind began racing to try to remember his name.  _Delvin, right? Or was it Damian? Devon? No, no it's definitely Delvin, because I remember making a joke about 'delving in.' Ugh, good one Kai. Gods, I hope he doesn't remember that._

"Well color me impressed lass!" she heard Brynjolf say, snapping out of her thoughts when she realized he was speaking to her now. "I didn't expect to see you again!"

"Whatever Brynjolf," she said, rolling her eyes at the thief. He seemed to make her do that quite often, she noticed. "You and I both know I'm here just so you'll shut up."

The Imperial woman let out a breath that sounded almost like a laugh. "Looks like Brynjolf's got his hands full with this one, eh?" she murmured under her breath to the barkeep.

Brynjolf, unfazed by the jab, smirked at the new recruit. "Aye lass, well, whatever the case, you've still got to prove yourself before you're in."

Kaiya narrowed her eyes at the provocation. "I expected as much Brynjolf. I'd be a little hesitant to join if your guild just accepted anyone that could make it to the bar."

"Glad to see we're on the same page then," Brynjolf replied tersely as he crossed his arms in annoyance. It was one thing when she spoke to him like that when they were equals but down here, in front of the other guild members, he was in charge. Kaiya felt his aggravation at her insubordination hit her like a slap. Her thoughts began their intervention, trying to slow her tongue before it could do more damage.  _Shut up, Kai! You're going to ruin this before you even get started! Just keep your damn mouth shut for once!_

"Sorry," she apologized. "I guess it's been awhile since I've had any type of superior, really. I'll shut up." She looked down, appearing almost sheepish.

Brynjolf was taken aback at her unsolicited submission. He knew better than to assume she was intimidated by him, but her sudden change in demeanor left him speechless for a few moments while he adapted his approach. He nodded once, showing his approval. "Very good. Let's get started then, shall we?"

* * *

Brynjolf was happy for the first time in what felt like ages. Things seemed to finally be looking up. He had just sent his new recruit, the one he had been practically begging to join up, out on her first job. He took a long sip from his bottle of mead in a silent congratulations to himself before his moment was interrupted.

"Hiya Bryn, ya have a minute?" Delvin sat at the stool next to him at the bar before Brynjolf could respond, making the decision for him. "About that new recruit…"

"Yeah? What about her?" Brynjolf asked, defensively.

"Don't you recognize her?" Delvin asked.

"Recognize her from what, Delvin?" Brynjolf spat, quickly becoming frustrated. "I've known her for a while now. Of course I recognize her."

"From here. From the Flagon."

Brynjolf turned to face the Breton next to him, brows furrowed in confusion and annoyance. "What do you mean from the Flagon, Delvin? Just tell me what you're getting at already."

"She came down here on business a few months back, twice actually." Delvin explained. "She is the one that sold us that amulet of the elder council."

Brynjolf's eyes widened in surprise. He remembered that amulet well. It was one of the best finds they had laid their collective hands on in years. "That's a good thing, right?"

"Depends on how you feel about the Dark Brotherhood" Delvin responded with a shrug.

"And what does the Dark Brotherhood have to do with this?"

"That's who sold me the amulet." Delvin's face was serious, leaning forward to drive in his point. "Your new recruit is the Listener of the Dark Brotherhood, Bryn."


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaiya is inducted into the guild and finally meets her Guildmaster...

_5th of Sun's Dusk 4E202_

Kaiya jogged back towards the Ratway, gold jingling at her side with every step. She had completed her first job for the Thieves Guild, feeling a little smug about her accomplishments. As soon as Brynjolf gave her the details of the job, she knew she'd do well. It may not be something she was proud of, but blackmail was one of her strong suits.

She entered the Flagon, waltzing up to the bar where Brynjolf sat alone, having a drink. She leaned against the counter, facing the thief with a grin spread wide across her face. "Aye, the prodigy has returned!" he joked, giving her his full attention. "So lass, how'd it go?"

Kaiya held up the full coin purse in front of him, shaking it to make the coins jingle. Brynjolf smiled, snatching the purse from her hands and checking the contents. "It looks like you got it all!" he exclaimed and began to count out the coins in small stacks on the counter. "And your marks are all still alive, I hope?"

"Yep, every one of them" she beamed, "although Haelga tested my resolve. I can't stand that woman." She crossed her arms, remembering their interaction from earlier. "She acts like she owns sex itself, like the mere knowledge that people do it on their own without her benefitting from it offends her in some way. The way men treat her like she's the living embodiment of an orgasm doesn't help either. Do they not see it?!"

Brynjolf chucked to himself at her description. She wasn't wrong. He found it thoroughly amusing when Kaiya would rant about people that made her angry, so he encouraged her to continue. "What about Bersi?"

"Ugh" she scoffed. "That guy's just a giant, quivering lip. I didn't even have to say anything to him before he started handing over the coin. Guess word got around that I had paid a visit to the others that owed the guild."

"And Keerava?"

"She owed me from the last time I was in her establishment," Kaiya said, carefully choosing her words. "She knew it. I didn't have to say much, just reminded her that she had been incredibly... inhospitable." Her lips curled into a predatory grin as she relived the encounter in her mind and suddenly Brynjolf could see the assassin Delvin claimed her to be.

Brynjolf raised an eyebrow at the mysterious way she described her interaction with Keerava, but thought it best not to ask questions. "As long as she's alive, I don't need to know details."

Kaiya gave a tight lipped smile before replying, "oh yeah, she's alive. And you should have all your money."

"Aye lass, a job well done. Here's your payment." He slid three stacks of the coins he had been counting over to her and raked the rest into the open coin purse.

"Right." She swept the coins from the counter into her own coin purse, focusing her attention back onto the redhead, giving him a half hearted smile to seem appreciative. "Thanks for the coin." She sat in silence for a moment looking at the counter, deep in concentration.

"What's on your mind, Kaiya?" Brynjolf asked cautiously, not sure he wanted to know whatever it was she was rolling around in her head.

"It's just," Kaiya fidgeted, trying to phrase her thoughts. "It's just… is there something going on with the guild, Bryn?"

"Ah, I see." He nodded, facing his apprentice. "You've heard rumors that the guild's in a bad way. I won't lie to you lass, we've seen better days. Ol' Delvin thinks we've been cursed." He laughed humorlessly. "Me? I think it's just a string of bad luck. But we're going to turn that around, don't you worry about it."

"So where do I fit in with all this?" she asked, straight to the point.

Brynjolf laughed, once again without humor. "Well, you've proven your worth as far as I'm concerned. You're exactly what this outfit needs to get us out of this rut."

"No pressure or anything," Kaiya mocked playfully. "Wait! Are you saying I'm in?"

"I was wondering when you were going to pick up on that," he teased. Kaiya beamed for a brief moment before her face turned serious.

"Don't hedge all your bets on me, Brynjolf" she warned, no longer joking. "Don't put me on some pedestal with grandiose expectations I could never live up to. That's not fair to anyone."

Brynjolf gave her a sad smile, confirming that he really believed she'd be the one to bring the guild back. Kaiya sighed and rolled her eyes, an exasperated smile forming on her face at his blind faith.

"I swear to the divines Brynjolf, your stubborn Nord insistence on romanticizing everything into some Bard's song is going to get you in trouble one day."

"Well, at least I'm romantic" he crooned, "that's more than I could say for some Nords."

She laughed, shoving his shoulder. "Come off it, ya damn swindler! I swear you must be part Breton with your damned silver tongue."

"Speaking of Bretons," he interjected, "It's time for you to meet your Guildmaster."

Kaiya scoffed, "Why am I not surprised that the master of the Thieves Guild is a Breton? Way to fulfill a stereotype there, Guildmaster." Brynjolf looked at her with sheer bewilderment as she jabbed her own people, causing a laugh to burst forth from Kaiya. He wasn't used to her self deprecation yet, it seemed.

"Have I ever told you the story of when the pot met the kettle?" he smirked. "Romantic story, really. Come with me, I'll tell you all about it."

Kaiya walked behind the thief as he made his way through a false panel in a closet and into a giant, open space, noisy with the sounds of talking thieves and rushing water. "Welcome to the cistern," Brynjolf proclaimed as he placed a hand at the small of her back, guiding her through as if it were a grand hall in a palace. In fact, if grand halls were judged by their ability to awe, the cistern might just count as one.

It was vast enough to create an echo, perfectly circular with a stone walkway making its way around the perimeter. The entire room hovered above a large pool of water being fed by several pipes along the walls, water cascading out from them like a fountain. This was obviously a sewer, but the smell was not what she expected. It smelled clean, like the smell after a heavy rain. Two stone bridges crossed over the water, meeting in the center to create a platform. The bridges seemed to cut the space into four quadrants, each of which included a stone arch and separate door, much like the one she just walked through from the Flagon. The stone walkway that worked around the perimeter was bustling with thieves, talking, practicing their skills with a bow, cooking or even sleeping on one of the many beds that were dispersed throughout.

She continued looking around, neck craned to see the top of the very high ceiling and the banners hung against the walls, unaware that Brynjolf was guiding her to the center platform over the water. At one point she actually turned around, walking backwards to take it all in. She hadn't noticed the angry Breton standing in the center as they approached.

"Mercer, this is the new recruit I was telling you about." Brynjolf gestured to the gawking woman next to him, her back to the conversation.

Mercer glared at the back of this new recruit, not even paying attention to her own induction. "This better not be another waste of the guild's resources, Brynjolf." was the Guildmaster's reply, reverberating and deep as it left his chest, striking his second-in-command like a blow from a hammer.

Brynjolf grabbed Kaiya's arm, spinning her around to force her to pay attention. "Kaiya!" he snapped through gritted teeth. "I said this is your Guildmaster, Mercer Frey." His tone was sharp and cutting, and his hand on her arm squeezed painfully. She looked into Brynjolf's glare and winced, before turning to look at her new Guildmaster.

"Mercer, this is my new recruit, Kaiya" Brynjolf gestured towards her, coaxing the Guildmaster to acknowledge her presence. The Guildmaster let his focus slowly gaze over to the girl, their eyes meeting for the first time.

Kaiya's mouth dropped open in shock, eyes wide as she stared.  _It's… HIM!_ Her shock morphed into curiosity, eyebrows raised with unspoken questions.

Mercer's reaction was much more subdued, eyes widening with surprise but only for an instant. As quickly as the recognition had hit Mercer's face, it vanished, leaving his signature aggravated scowl in its place. No one could have possibly noticed, no one except the new recruit standing before him.

"Nice to meet you, Mercer." A smile danced across her lips, ending in a smirk. A smirk that told Mercer loud and clear that she knew exactly what she had seen in his expression, even just for a moment.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It seems as though Kaiya and Mercer had met once before about a year ago...

_14th of Frost Fall 4E201_

Of three things Kaiya was certain: she was hungry, she was exhausted, and she had not a septim to her name. She arrived in Riften as dusk turned to night, determined to find a hot meal, a bottle of good mead and a bed to sleep in. She would just need to get creative about the coin, a predicament that was not new to her.

Opening the door just wide enough for her to slip through, she entered the Bee and Barb. At the sight of the crowded room, she pulled up the hood of her monk robes to obscure her face as she began to make her way into the inn.

"Whoa there priestess," came the voice of a man sitting on a bench to her left, "you in need of protecting by a capable mage such as myself?"

Kaiya darted her eyes to the source of the proposition. An Imperial, no doubt, with dark brown hair tied back and wearing mage robes. "No, thank you. Mara protects me" she mumbled, eyes cast downward.

"Mara? Oh, nevermind" the mage replied. "I thought you were a priestess of Dibella."

Kaiya suppressed her gagged response, settling only for a curt nod in order to stay in character.

She moved on, the hem of her tailored robes lightly brushing the floor as she walked. Despite the conspicuous saffron color she wore, she was able to glide virtually unnoticed through the crowded room. Her head kept down in feigned modesty, her eyes darted around the inn, evaluating each patron and taking in as much information as possible. She kept up the act, needing to establish herself as a humble priestess in order for this con to work.

The disguise must have been better than she thought, because soon a hand placed on her shoulder forced her to stop. She spun to face an agitated Argonian. "I already told Maramal that preaching was not tolerated in my establishment!"  _This must be one of the Argonians that owns the place_ , she thought to herself, mentally preparing her defense.

"I'm not here to preach, sir" her eyes remained cast down in a show of submission. "I am only here to pass along some of Mara's blessings to those who wish for it. I'm not one for sermons."

The Argonian glared, skeptical of her response. He'd heard that one before. "Very well, priestess, but if I so much as hear a tone that sounds remotely preachy, you're out. I've had enough of you people driving out my customers with your judgmental monologues."

She nodded, eyes cast downward. "I understand. You'll hear nothing of the sort from me. I'm only here to offer blessings."

"You'll need to buy something too," he grumbled. "I've lost my patience with loiterers."

Kaiya took her leave from the conversation, feeling aggravated that some jackass had been in here preaching and ruining her perfect plan.  _Damn zealots._  Her spirits dampened, she made her way to the bar, hoping she could at least flirt her way into some coin since her go to camouflage was possibly compromised. Her eyes shifted to the other patrons sitting at the counter where she spotted a well dressed dark elf sitting at the bar by himself.  _Jackpot!_

"Hi there," she cooed at the Dunmer as she stepped up to the counter next to him, flashing him a flirtatious smile. "I'm in a bit of a predicament, do you think you could help me?" she asked, her expression offering licentious promise. The dark elf turned to her and his scowl softened considerably at the sight of the young Breton.

"Well, what do you need?" he asked with a smile, leaning towards her suggestively.  _Got him._

"I'm new in town and I was told I needed to buy a drink to stay here, but I'm a little unversed in mead. Could you help me pick something?" She softly laid her hand on his forearm, the touch not going unnoticed by the Dunmer.

"Well, you're in luck pretty lady! This is Riften, home of the best mead in all of Skyrim. I suggest the Black-Briar reserve, it's our specialty." Their faces were mere inches apart, the Dunmer moving closer and closer with every moment. "In fact, I brew it myself. I run the Black-Briar meadery, you see."

While Kaiya inwardly groaned at his shameless ego stroking, outwardly she feigned complete interest as if it were incredibly impressive.

"Oh really? I need to taste it then, to see if it's as delicious as you claim." She licked her lips, smiling at the Dunmer with her eyes. "Only, there's just one problem." She looked away, her face now one of concern.

"Mmm, and what's that, blue eyes?" He was entranced. A struggling animal caught in the web of a hungry Frostbite spider.

She sheepishly looked to the left, then right, acting as if she didn't want anyone to overhear. Her eyes locking onto the elf's, she leaned forward from where she was positioned between his legs, rising up on her toes to be able to whisper in his ear. Her hand moved from his forearm to graze down his side, her other hand on his shoulder, gliding around to his back. "I haven't had any mead in a long time, do you think I'll be able to handle it?" she whispered, feeling his entire body go rigid at all the sensations she threw at him. She pulled back, biting her lip as she eyed him, his dark skin flushed. He grinned, "oh yes, I'm sure you could handle it."

She turned from the elf in an instant, trying to catch Keerava's attention to order her mead. The elf placed his hand on her back, watching her every move as he fantasized about where this would lead. Kaiya ordered a bottle of mead, but did not take her companion's recommendation, not that he noticed. She brought out her coin purse, counted out the coins to pay for her mead and handed them to the bartender. Once the transaction was complete, she turned to the hypnotized Dunmer and leaned forward to whisper in his ear once more, this time with much less contact. "Let's get out of here, huh? I'll meet you at Haelga's in an hour."

She winked as she turned away from the stunned Dunmer, disengaging from him completely. He hurried out of the bar to prepare for what he thought promised to be an erotic night. Kaiya smiled as she imagined his reaction the moment he realized she would not be meeting him, but that smile turned to a sinful grin as she imagined the moment he realized he was also one coin purse lighter. She congratulated herself with a sip of mead, feeling encouraged to keep going.  _Back in the game_.

* * *

Mercer Frey sat in his preferred corner of the Bee and Barb, perfectly obscured by the fireplace. His meeting with Maven had ended a few tankards of mead ago but yet he lingered, still unable to calm his damn nerves. That woman was maddening. He stared blankly out at the rest of the inn as his thoughts screamed in anger. His mind mentally shouted all the things he wished he could have yelled at her face, a fantasy he found himself diving into much more frequently as of late. He took a quick draw from the bottle of mead in front of him, then continued staring at nothing in particular.

If he had blinked he would have missed it. The quick fingers in and out of a pocket. The owner of the pocket was unaware, but he had seen it. He squinted his eyes, trying to get a view of the perpetrator, who was currently obscured by a giant Nord ranting about the Empire. When he finally got a glimpse, he was taken aback with surprise.  _A priest? No!_  His eyes narrowed even more, noticing the way her robe was tailored to fit snugly around her small frame, her movements starkly feminine. "A priest _ess_ " he thought, eyebrows shooting up with surprise. Well at least he'd be entertained for the night.

He watched as she weaved in and out of the congregations of people, feigning piety as she bowed to patrons and wished them the benevolence of Mara. She casually backed into a well dressed Nord sitting at a table, relieving him of his coin purse as she pretended to check if he was all right. Like a true holy woman, she propped up a drunkard who had passed out at a table, praying over him as she helped him sit upright. Only unlike a holy woman, she also helped herself to the contents of his pockets. Completely falling for her act, several men actually approached the charlatan, asking her to bless them. She complied, taking it upon herself to accept a donation from the men for her efforts. One by one, he watched as this mysterious woman in a monk robe, much too brightly colored to be considered stealthy, emptied the pockets of almost everyone who was unlucky enough to enter the inn. He caught himself leaning back in his chair, an amused grin on his face as he watched the show. It wasn't often that Mercer was impressed, but this performance piqued his interest. He wondered when she would finally notice him, the man in the dark corner, blending in with the shadows that danced around the fireplace.


	8. Chapter 8

_14th of Frost Fall 4E201_

" _One more,_ " she told herself, knowing if she kept going at this rate it was only a matter of time before someone caught on. " _One more then I'll get a room. Oh and some food._ " She had been so caught up in her own little challenge that she had completely forgotten about how hungry she was. Typical.

She spotted her last hapless victim, a drunk Nord stumbling towards the exit. This would be easy. She approached the man, acting the part of a concerned disciple of Mara, as she helped escort him to the door. She wrapped his arm around her neck for support while her arm went around his waist, positioned perfectly to make her move when the time was right. As soon as they were out of the line of sight of Keerava, Kaiya stuck out her foot, tripping the man so that he fell to the ground, bringing her down with him. In the commotion, she slipped her fingers into his coin purse. That exact moment, when her hand was wrist deep in a coin purse that did not belong to her, was when she noticed movement by the fireplace to her right. Her head involuntarily jerked towards the sight, eyes searching frantically before they landed on a man who sat in a chair in the corner. Kaiya froze in panic.  _How had she not seen him before?! How long had he been there?!_  She had been caught red handed, only…

_Was he smiling?_

As she took in the mysterious figure no more than carriage length away, her eyes scanned him from his fancy boots to his quilted fine clothes to his shaggy brown hair, trying desperately to make sense of what she saw. He had his legs stretched out in front of him, completely relaxed, while he casually leaned back in his chair. The light from the fireplace flickered around him, but he seemed to stay in the shadows, fickle as they were. She couldn't help but think that he didn't seem angry. In fact, the look on his face seemed almost amused, as if he found this whole ordeal to be entertaining and cared nothing of the moral quandary it presented. What she had first mistaken for a smile was more of an amused smirk, but it was enough to convince her that he wasn't planning on calling for the guards.

In a silent plea for his discretion, she put one finger to her lips as they curled into a smile. His only reply was the slight widening of his own smirk, a wordless agreement between them. At this, Kaiya's hand slipped the coins out of the poor drunkard's purse and pocketed them in her own. She helped the man to his feet, exclaiming that he should be more careful before she resumed her former position of bracing him as they walked to the door. Looking over her shoulder at the shadowed man in the corner, she gave him a wink meant to entice. A devious grin spread across his face that shot a shiver down her spine.

_This guy was going to be trouble._

After she walked her last victim to the door, she practically tossed him outside. No use in taking the disguise the extra mile for someone who wouldn't remember her anyway. The door slammed as she came back into the inn, making her way back to the counter. She had planned on just ordering some dinner and renting a room, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't hope to see her mystery man again. Her gaze casually drifted over to the fireplace, trying not to look too eager, only to find an empty chair.

_Please tell me I didn't imagine that man…_

She stepped up to the counter but dared not look around in search of him. Looking desperate was something Kaiya would never allow. Keerava eyed her suspiciously. "Whatt'dya want?" she snapped.

"I'm not picky," Kaiya replied. "Just something to eat and some mead for now. I'm starving." Keerava's eyes narrowed before she sauntered off to find her patron something to eat. If the priestess wasn't picky, she wouldn't mind the most expensive meal in the establishment, would she?

Kaiya moved her hand to retrieve her coin purse, now flush with coin from her hard earned pilfering.  _That's funny,_ she thought as her hands roamed in all her pockets,  _I could've sworn it was right here._ Her search became more frantic as her panic set in.  _What in Oblivion happened to my coin purse?!_

"Looking for this?" came a voice from beside her. Startled, she looked towards the voice only to discover its owner was the enigmatic figure from the fireplace, leaning against the counter. In one hand he held her coin purse and jiggled it around to make the coins clink together as a taunt. Before she could even consider reaching out to snatch it from him, he snapped it back into his hand as he shook his head. "Tsk tsk tsk, not so fast Priestess," he jeered. "Two can play this game." She felt her lips curl as they mirrored his coy smirk. He winked, causing excitement to pool in her stomach, then turned away from her, strolling over to sit at a table against the wall of the inn. Her eyes followed him as he moved and his eyes returned to her after he sat down, baiting her to make the next move.

_Oh so this is the game he wants to play, eh? I like this game._

An annoyed "ah-hem" from the Argonian behind the bar broke his spell and reminded her that she was once again, completely penniless. Keerava stood at the bar with a blank expression as Kaiya put on an awkward grimace. "I have a bit of a problem. I seem to have lost my coin purse." Kaiya admitted, her shoulders shooting up to brace for the inevitable lecture. The Argonian just rolled her eyes, shoving the plate towards her patron. "It's been taken care of already, Priestess" she mocked, throwing all of her skepticism into Kaiya's title.

Kaiya's brows snapped together with incredulity. "What? Who? What?!"

Keerava rolled her eyes again at the aloofness of her patron. "Sometimes I wonder how men ever procreate, seeing how daft you all can be." She gave a sharp nod, directing Kaiya's attention towards the table by the wall. The table that was occupied by the mystifying scoundrel himself, feigning innocence as his eyes scanned over the pages of some book.

Kaiya sighed and grabbed her dinner from the bar, shaking her head at his shamelessness.  _This guy is going to be trouble,_  she thought as she walked towards him, not able to wipe the stupid grin off her face.  _Fun, but trouble._

Her plate hit the table with a clang as Kaiya sat down directly across from her new playmate. "I guess I have you to thank for this" she said as she pulled off a piece of bread, gingerly putting it in her mouth.  _Don't devour it like an animal Don't devour it like an animal_ she chanted in her mind, fighting the urge to demolish her dinner as hungry as she was.

"No need to thank me," he said as he looked up from whatever book he had been reading, closed it, and set it to the side. "I have recently come into some coin so it's the least I could do to help feed a disciple of our Lady Mara." The mocking tone practically dripped off of his words and his eyes crinkled at the corners in amusement.

Kaiya tore off another piece of bread as she glared back at him, her mind quickly configuring what approach she should use. He was dangerous. It was as though he was setting a trap, word by word, to see if she would fall for it. She cocked an eyebrow at him, "is that so? Well I am truly blessed to have encountered a man with your piety."

"Well you know what they say," he grinned as he leaned forward and put his elbows on the table. "Blessings come to those who give."

"Oh so it was an investment? I see," she placed another piece of bread onto her tongue, chewing slowly. "I wonder who you expect to see to it that you're compensated for your selflessness. Lady Mara, or her humble servant before you?"

"I believe I have something you want as well, priestess." His eyes remained locked onto hers while he pulled out her coin purse.

"Straight to the bribery, aren't we?" She let out a single laugh before taking a sip of her mead. "What could you possibly want from me, O pious one?"

"Your name."

"Why would you want my name?" Kaiya was becoming genuinely curious as to what this man was after. Any other jackass at the bar she would have told to fuck off by now, but this man… this man was an enigma. A challenge. And Kaiya hadn't been challenged in oh so long…

"Curious," he shrugged and leaned back into his chair, his hands behind his head.

"What do I get out of this?" she teased. "I can get more coin if I need it, you've got to give me something better than that."

"What do you want?"

She felt a tremor course through her at his question, the way his deep voice rumbled out of his chest. It was mesmerizing.

"Quid pro quo. I give nothing away I don't receive in return."

He contemplated her offer before seemingly coming to some conclusion. His eyes were playful as he leaned forward, his elbows back on the table. "Like I said priestess, what do you want?"

"I want to know if you usually wear those stupid clothes or if they're just special for tonight," His obvious surprise at her question caused her to look down to stifle a laugh.

"Very well, if that's what you want to ask. No, I don't usually wear these clothes" he growled, "you're not the only one that can pull off a disguise, priestess."

She was impressed. Her expression showed it. He leaned back, proud of himself. "Now you. Your name."

"Must we really start with names?" she groaned. "You wouldn't want to tell me your name, would you?"

"Fine. We'll start easier. Why are you in Riften?" his arms crossed in front of him.

"For work," she replied candidly.

His brow shot up with suspicion. "Let me guess. At the temple? You're not playing fair."

She grinned, "I didn't say the temple, you did. No, I'm in another line of work that has brought me here. I uh…" she paused, not wanting to reveal too much. There was no way she was telling him she was really there to perform a hit on the poor old lady that ran the local orphanage. "I shouldn't say more about it than that. Just know that it's quite far off from the work of a holy woman."

He nodded, apparently content with her answer. "What about you?" she asked. "Why are you in Riften in your fancy clothes?"

"Those are two questions," he replied drily.

"Fine, the first one. The Riften one. Why are you here?" She was getting into this game.

"I live here." He stared at her, his mind obviously trying to piece together his next question. She just nodded and smiled, trying her best to entice him into taking this a bit further. If he was this fun clothed, he was destined to be fun in the bedroom. Her face blushed at the thought, but she didn't look away. He noticed.

"Why are you blushing?" he asked.  _Damn! Clever bastard!_

"I was thinking about some scandalous things." She smiled wickedly and he responded just as she had hoped, with a devious grin and his eyes full of questions. "Is that so?" he asked as he leaned towards her, now just inches away from her face.  _Got him_.

"Is that what you told that poor dark elf earlier too? The one that you relieved of his coin purse and chased out of the inn, no doubt with promises of something that will never happen?"

_Nope. Don't got him._

"You're a clever girl, I'll give you that." He began to stand as he picked up the book he had left on the table, undoubtedly preparing to leave. "But you'll have to work a little harder than that if you plan on getting your ill earned gains from me." Her face was blank and she stared at him, her mind rushing to catch up with what was happening. He laughed at the sight before bending over to speak into her ear. "If you want it, you'll have to try your luck at breaking into my room. Let's see if your lockpicking skills are as good as these fingers of yours," he dared, reaching down to squeeze her fingers as he spoke. "You may be clever, but I'll always be one step ahead."

And with that, he walked away. He grinned to himself as he climbed the stairs, relishing in his upper hand. She would take the bait, he was certain. Kaiya's expression was no different from his as she sat alone.  _Damn this man!_   _He was good, too good._  She had been worried at first, but when he practically dared her to break into his room she knew it had all been a part of his game. Once again he baited her and once again, she would bite.

Kaiya took her time. No need to seem eager. Plus, it would be good to make him sweat a little. She finished her meal but she fidgeted in her seat. She hated waiting. When her tension became too much to bear, she made her way up the stairs of the Bee and Barb. His room was the third she tried. After sneaking in on a sleeping Argonian and then catching some drunk Nord in his smallclothes, she sighed with relief when she saw her mystery man, sitting on the bed and reading the same book he had been reading earlier. Her entry seemed to have had no effect on him as he read, his eyes not leaving the page.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to resist a challenge." He smiled, his attention still on the book in his lap.  _Damn him! Damn him to Oblivion! How did he read her as easily as he read that damn book?!_

Oh but she  _liked_  it. She couldn't deny that. Her eyes roamed his relaxed form as he sat, back leaning against the headboard and legs stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankles. He wore nothing but his long sleeved undershirt and trousers that ended at his bare feet. She took him all in, his unkempt dark hair that fell into his eyes as he read, prompting him to run his hand through it to be able to see. His muscled arms, not as big as the Nords she had become accustomed to but for that she was grateful. Kaiya didn't care much for burly types, but his toned arms were just right. His chest was broad under his shirt, rising and falling with his easy breathing. It was his chest that held her gaze, the same chest that his voice rumbled out of when he spoke in that deep, alluring tone. She wanted to feel it beneath her hands, that deep voice of his vibrating her fingers. He pushed all of her buttons, enticed all of her vices. He had her, helplessly caught in his web that he had skillfully spun all night. She knew it too, but there was nowhere else she'd rather be.

_Get a grip, Kai!_ She scolded herself, shaking her head as if to free her thoughts from an intangible web.  _Don't give him control! You're better than this!_

With her newfound resolve, she approached the bed with her shoulders back and her chin up, defiant, and ready to take charge. "I need to make something clear." He looked up with an expression that told her he was merely humoring her, but she continued anyway. "I'm not here because of coin. Like I told you earlier, I am perfectly capable of finding more for myself." He did not respond, urging her to continue with his stare. "I don't want you hanging it over my head. I'm here as your equal. I owe you nothing."

He slowly shut the book he had been reading and placed it next to the bed. His legs swung around to plant his feet on the floor as he gave her his full attention. "So let me get this straight. You break into my room, accuse me of holding your stolen coin over your head and then declare yourself my equal?"

_Okay so maybe that wasn't the most well thought out plan you've ever had, Kai_ , she thought, chiding herself.  _Hold it together. Adapt. You still got this_. She feigned confidence, hands on her hips and a pleased nod as her reply.

"So am I to assume that you broke into my room just to tell me that?" He forced his expression to resemble incredulity, but Kaiya could see the beginnings of a smirk play at the corners of his mouth. "Or is there another reason why you're here?"

_There it is, there's that damn smirk._  Taking this as her cue, she pulled back the hood of her monk robes, letting her long blonde curls tumble down her back. She removed a glove and threw it on the chair next to the bed. She locked onto his gaze and didn't look away as she removed the second glove, tossing it alongside its counterpart. He tried to hide his growing interest in a mask of impassivity, but Kaiya knew better. His hands gripped his knees until his knuckles were white. She stepped out of one boot. Then two. He licked his lips.  _Got him._

Her expression was downright lascivious, leaving little doubt as to what her intentions were. His heart began beating faster. His pants grew more and more uncomfortable. He knew his resolve was weakening, but he was adamant to remain in control. This was his game and no one beat him at his own game.

"You didn't answer my question," he stated flatly. "Why are you here?" His eyes narrowed at her, daring her to say it out loud.

"I'm here for the same reason you challenged me to pick the lock." Eyes locked onto his, her hand moved towards the sash of her robes, the last piece of fabric responsible for keeping her clothed. "The same reason you sat in this room awake instead of falling asleep." She began to pull the sash, agonizingly slow. His eyes lazily drifted down to her sash, then back up to her face. "I'm here for the same reason you wanted me here," she bit her lip, still pulling the sash, "so we could have a little fun."

In one swift motion, he jumped up to his feet, the force of his momentum pushing them both into the wall behind her. One of his hands grabbed hers to prevent her from continuing to untie her sash while his other hand pressed against the wall above her head, bracing himself as he loomed over her. Confused, she looked up to get a read off of his expression to find him staring back with a look that flipped her insides. He looked  _hungry_. With his face mere inches from hers, he growled "And who said you were in charge?"

"What? You don't want to see me naked?" she teased, grinning deviously. He lowered his head into the crook of her neck, his breath hitting her skin and causing her to shiver. A single, rumbling laugh came rolling out from his chest. "No," he crooned in an almost playful tone as he kissed her collarbone. "I didn't say that." His lips brushed up her neck in a trail of one searing kiss after another, each one sending a shudder through her. He kissed behind her ear, then her jaw, before resting his forehead against hers. "I just want to be the one that unties this sash." And at that, his lips pressed into hers, sealing their fate for the night.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back in the present, Kaiya struggles to keep up with the mood swings of her new Guildmaster.

_5th of Sun's Dusk 4E202_

Kaiya sat at the counter of the Ragged Flagon, the events of the day a whirlwind in her mind. She took another long sip from her bottle and continued to stare blankly. She had been inducted into the Thieves Guild. She had received her guild leathers which she had immediately changed into from her robes. She had met the other members of the guild and received her first jobs from Delvin and Vex.

She laughed to herself a bit as she remembered her encounter with Delvin. Why had she been so nervous? He had recognized her, but when he saw her eyes widen in horror he soothed her fears. "We all have pasts we'd rather not talk about, love. That's why we're down here. You have nothin' to worry about from Ol' Delvin." A smile crept across her face at the memory. This may work out after all.

Then there was Mercer. The thought alone made her take another long sip from her bottle, her nerves rattled from their introduction.  _So that was his name_. How many times had she mentally slapped herself for not asking for it that night a year ago? How many times she had wished she knew it when she came to Riften so that maybe she could ask someone about him? He had definitely remembered her, she was sure of it. His reaction had been fleeting, but she had caught it. His reaction afterwards is what made her cringe.

"Nice to meet you Mercer" she had said.

She remembered growing confused as his scowl deepened and he looked at her angrily. "It's Guildmaster to you, footpad."  _Footpad. That was one way to make her feel like a novice._  "We need to get a few things straight…"

He had been so abrasive, commanding obedience and warning her not to be a waste of his time. It had felt like a punch to the stomach, how he looked at her as if she were merely an annoyance. And to think, she had spent so much time thinking about that guy! That one night they had years ago had plagued her mind ever since, forcing her to compare every man she slept with back to him.  _Back to Mercer_. She scoffed and took another swig. "Whatever" she said aloud.

And yet, there was a tinge of what she remembered in their exchange. "Oh yeah," he had drawled in that deep, rumbling voice. "Welcome to the Thieves Guild."  _Damn that man!_  Even after all this time, that voice still made her heart pound a little faster. She knew better than to poke at it, but she was pretty sure that his hardlined attitude towards her had a purpose. He had to exert control. He was the Guildmaster. "Psh, classic!" she said aloud again before she took another sip from her bottle.

She was unsure of how long she had been in her own head, but when she finally made eye contact with the barkeep she was mortified. He stared back at her with a look of utter confusion mixed with extreme amusement, one eyebrow raised to his hairline while the corner of his mouth curved upwards in a sardonic grin.

"Oh gods," she groaned, hanging her head in shame. She could only imagine how insane she had looked, staring into space and talking to herself. "Well this is awkward!" she squeaked, a high pitched laugh leaving her chest. "I promise I'm not crazy or anything, you just caught me deep in thought is all" she explained as she looked back up to the barkeep. "I'm Kaiya, by the way."

"Okaayyyyyyy," the barkeep responded carefully. "I'm Vekel the Man. You must be Brynjolf's new protege." He laughed and shook his head, "oh man, we're done for."

"Whattdya mean?"

"I mean if you're the one that Brynjolf's got his hopes on for saving the guild, I should go ahead and pack up."

Kaiya's eyes narrowed at the man as he scoffed to himself. "So says the bartender." she replied, drily. Her expression deadpan, she continued. "Oh man, whatever will I do? The BARTENDER thinks I'm a dud. Oh the horror." She spoke emotionlessly, using her tone to illustrate how ridiculous she thought this situation was. He glared at her, obviously not happy with her disrespect.

Their argument was interrupted by the addition of another patron, plopping down on the stool at the end of the bar. Kaiya didn't have to look to see who it was. She could tell from the tightening of her stomach at the way the air seemed to get just a bit harder to breathe.  _Mercer_ … she looked at her bottle for a moment to try to steady her nerves.

Not one to miss out on an opportunity to ridicule his new adversary, Vekel decided to take advantage of her obvious discomfort around her Guildmaster. "Hey Mercer," he said a little louder than necessary to ensure she heard him. "This new recruit here just disrespected me." Kaiya's head shot up at the provocation, a wide grin plastered onto the barkeep's face.

"So?" Mercer replied, unenthusiastically. "I'm just here to drink, Vekel. Handle your own damn problems."

Vekel's face dropped, mouth hanging open. Kaiya laughed "But daaaaaaa!" she mocked, whining like a child. "She told me I was a bartender!" Shaking her head, she took a sip from her bottle and rolled her eyes. Vekel's nostrils flared, his skin turning hot with anger. "Say what you will, new blood, but I've seen a lot of wannabe thugs down here over the years. You either got what it takes or you don't. And from what I've seen you won't last a week."

"Whatever Vekel THE MAN," she laughed, disregarding his taunt completely. "Those are some strong words coming from someone who felt it necessary to put his gender in his name, just in case there were questions." Vekel stared at her in a seething rage while she calmly sipped on her mead, when they heard a chuckle come from the end of the bar.

Mercer was  _laughing_. It started small, but transformed itself into a silent laugh that made his whole body shake. He kept his head down, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. Vekel stared at his reaction in disbelief. "Mercer?" he asked, concerned. Mercer shook his head back and forth as his laughter slowed before letting out a forced exhale. "Vekel, why DO you call yourself that anyway?" he asked, wiping the tears from his face.

The bartender's face turned smug, excited to answer the question. "It's a nickname given to me by Tonilia," he bragged. "Maybe you should ask HER why she calls me that."

As if on cue, Tonilia called out from her usual perch by the water. "Vekel! Let's get out of here!" Vekel grinned, "looks like she wants some of THE MAN now. Insatiable, that one."

Tonilia had apparently grown impatient with his lack of immediate response. "Vekel, let's go! I'm tired!" He began to scurry around, taking off his apron and getting his belongings together. "Coming Tonilia!" He shot one last grin at Kaiya before running off, leaving her alone with Mercer at the bar.

"Oh that poor bastard," Kaiya laughed to herself before letting the room fall quiet. She was suddenly very aware of the fact that she was alone with Mercer and the silence was becoming unbearable. She needed more mead.

"He's not coming back is he?" she asked, knowing the answer. "Damn. I wanted another drink."

At this, Mercer stood and reached over the bar, grabbing two bottles of mead. He slid one over to Kaiya before opening the other for himself and taking a sip. She caught one corner of her mouth turning up into a lopsided smile. The gesture, while small, was exactly the confirmation that Kaiya needed to affirm he was indeed the same Mercer. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

_No really, don't mention it. Literally._ Kaiya understood the unspoken request and decided to change the subject.

"Where's he run off to, anyway?" Kaiya asked, taking a sip. "You know what? I don't want to know."

"Well, after that castration you just performed on his manhood," he joked, shooting her a side eyed glance. "My guess is he's out trying to reclaim his masculinity."

"You saying I was too hard on him?" Kaiya asked, intrigued at what he might say. He looked at her quizzically, still through a side glance.

"Gods, no" he scoffed, returning his gaze back to his bottle. "Not your fault the only manhood he has left is in his dumb name."

A laugh burst out of Kaiya's mouth before she covered it with her hand. She shot a glance at Mercer, surprised at his jab when a grin took over her expression. "Nah, that's just the manhood that Tonilia allows him to keep. She holds onto the rest, you know, for safekeeping."

Mercer, unfortunate enough to be taking a gulp of his mead while she spoke, coughed out a surprised laugh, having to pound himself on the chest to release the mead he had inhaled in the process. "Damn," he croaked, voice still raw from his coughing fit, "I could almost  _hear_ Vekel's balls shrivel from that."

Kaiya grimaced at the visual, "why'd you have to bring his balls into it? I was perfectly content going the rest of my life without ever thinking about Vekel's balls."

"Consider it hazing" he smirked, shooting another side glance at her. "We all suffer when the bartender suffers, has no one ever told you that?"

They let the room fall quiet, neither one feeling the need to fill the silence but just let it be. Kaiya could not quite figure out what was going on. One minute the Guildmaster looked at her as if she were an insect, but a few hours later and they're cracking jokes? She would give anything to see what was going on in that head of his.

As if he read her mind, she saw him glance over at her out of the corner of his eye. He was watching her. Once again, the smallest of actions told Kaiya exactly what she wanted to know. Her smile returned, stretching across her face.

"What?" he asked, almost defensively.

"What do you mean?" she was still smiling. "I didn't say anything."

His eyes narrowed at her. She still smiled.

"What!?" he asked again, growing more annoyed.

"What do you mean what?" she laughed, grin still on her face. "I'm not saying anything to you!"

He grumbled to himself and her smile widened. He was getting flustered!

"If you don't tell me what you're grinning about," he said, working to keep his voice even, "I'll wipe it off your face myself." He was threatening her, but she still just laughed. She climbed down off the barstool to leave, throwing a few septims on the bar to pay for her last mead. The smile stayed on her face as she shook her head at his reaction. So transparent!

"You're blushing." Was all she said as she turned and walked away, leaving Mercer to grumble obscenities by himself.


	10. Chapter 10

_5th of Sun's Dusk 4E202_

Kaiya found an empty bed in the cistern with as much privacy as possible and plopped down onto the mattress. Dust floated around as she stared at the stone ceiling, listening to the water as it flowed from the pipes.  _This was going to be fun._ Her mind began to wander as it usually did when she was alone, but instead of past tragedies or personal failures, this time it wandered back to that fateful night a year ago when she first met her new Guildmaster.

She remembered it well. The game, the subtle flirtation, the constant power struggle. She remembered how he had her up against the wall, his body pressed against hers.  _What had he said? Oh yeah._  "I just want to be the one that unties this sash."  _Ha!_

"Oh, so you're a control freak?" she had responded when his lips left hers and found their way to her jawline, her throat, her collarbone. His hand moved inside the opening of her robes, gliding around her hip and down the back of her thigh before he lifted her leg, hooking it around his waist. He laughed into the crook of her neck as he slid his hand back to her hip. "You say that like you mind" was his response, his mouth back on hers.

She still remembered everything. The way he tasted of mead and the slow, deliberate way his mouth moved against hers.  _So much patience._  The way his scars felt as she traced them with her fingers, one on his chin just touching his bottom lip, another on his right cheek. She remembered his smell. Pine smoke from the fireplace clung to his hair but his own scent remained on his skin, wet stone, like rocks on a riverbed. A contradictory mixture of rain and fire, smoke and water. She remembered the way his calloused hand felt the first time it touched her bare skin and how she seemed to melt into the wall under his bulk. One of her hands had found its way to the back of his head, her fingers tangling themselves in his hair.

She remembered how he ground his hips into hers, earning a small moan from her in response. She could feel his smirk spread across his lips as he kissed her. "See?" he teased, his eyes looking straight into hers. "I think you like me in control."

_Oh and his eyes. Sweet Dibella, those eyes._ Piercing and fierce, a personality all their own. His gaze shot fire through her every time it locked onto her, as if all of his intention could only be conveyed through those two green orbs. She remembered being surprised when she first noticed their color, emeralds seeming out of place amongst such hard edges, unexpected resplendence surrounded by shadow.

_Wait a second._  Kaiya's eyes opened to contemplate what he had said to her. " _I think you like me in control." Ha!_ Of course the mysterious, sneaky, thieving, control freak she had spent a night with would be the master of the Thieves Guild.  _How had she not guessed that!?_

She thought about the commanding, aggressive, authoritarian that demanded obedience that she had met earlier in the cistern. It was hard to believe he was the same man she had met at the Bee and Barb. The man she met today used his title as a name, his authority as a personality, his armor as an identity. He did not waver even as he watched her cringe. There was no hesitation in his tirades, no playfulness in his taunts. And yet, she knew there was more. She had seen it.  _Hmm_. As Kaiya began to drift off to sleep, still in her guild leathers, she could not shake the feeling that she may have seen a side of the Guildmaster no one else in the guild had ever seen. A secret she would keep for herself.

That brooding, angry tyrant was still just a man.

That thought, powerful enough to quiet her ever present demons into a silence she had not experienced in months, set her adrift into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

* * *

Mercer's eyes followed the tiny Breton as she sauntered away from the bar, her final quip still hanging palpably in the air. She moved like a woman empowered, hips swaying and confidence seeping out with each step. A flurry of emotions ran through the Guildmaster, some very familiar and others so suppressed they felt alien in his body. He concentrated on the anger, a feeling he was well acquainted with. The others would pass.

" _You're blushing."_ Those two words, heavy with implication, served as a useful catalyst for his ire. She had lied, of that he was sure. Mercer did not blush. Those words were a taunt to try and get a reaction from him, of which he would not give her. She would learn soon enough that there were no power struggles here, not with him. The others may squabble for scraps but the Guildmaster stood alone, his dominance unquestioned. He would show her if she insisted on playing her games. She would see.

Mercer gulped down the last of a bottle of mead before mindlessly reaching over the bar to grab another. His self administered reassurances were not helping his turmoil. The moment he laid eyes on Brynjolf's new recruit he knew he was in a problematic situation. He could throw as many threats, sneers and commands at her as he wanted and he knew she would never bend. Nothing he could do would change the fact that a guild member now knew more about Mercer than he ever let any of his subordinates know. The thought made him chug the contents of his bottle until it was empty, then immediately replace it with another.

It wasn't her smile or hair or even her blue eyes he had recognized first. It was her expression. That brow of hers, furrowed and quizzical as she watched his every move. The way her mouth morphed from shock into that smug, knowing smirk. So much about her was exactly as he remembered, but yet there were a few stark differences that bit at the corners of his mind. Before she had been so small, twiggy even. The frame of a woman who ate when she was able and had to work for every bite. Now she was stronger, not just in her build but in her stance, her movements. The girl before had been a fighter, a scrappy and resourceful survivor. Now she was a woman who had survived, resolve steeled and with the calm demeanor that only comes from experience. She seemed older, not haggard or tired but solid and wise. It was this change that plagued him now - the evolution of a spunky, spirited novice into a sharp, tenacious force. That night at the Bee and Barb, Mercer had been aware of their difference in age. Not a large enough gap to qualify him as lecherous, but enough that any more than one night would have become tiresome. But now… now the gap seemed smaller and her vim seemed far less taxing.

He had tried to pretend that he did not recognize her, but she obviously hadn't bought his bluff. He had turned up the aggression in an attempt to scare her off, but he had known better than to assume that would work. He was in trouble. Memories from that night played in his head as he downed bottle after bottle of mead, his mind searching for anything that could give him leverage.

How had it started? Oh right, the damned woman brazenly removing her gloves and boots after breaking into his room.  _Ha. As if she was in control. How quaint._  He remembered pushing her against the wall to stop her from removing her robes, positioning himself at an advantage. She loved it though, he vividly recalled that. The soft moans, her breath catching, hands clutching at him and grabbing onto his back for stability. What had he said to her? "I think you like me in control."  _Ha, damn right she did._  He adjusted on his barstool, his reminiscence getting a little more lewd than he intended.

Taking another long sip from his bottle, he willed himself to clear his head from the fog that was beginning to creep in with his recollections. He was supposed to be combing through the events of that night in order to find something he could use for leverage, not for some thrill. Exerting every bit of willpower he had, he forced himself to stop his thoughts from their current path. He hated it when he felt he didn't have control over what was going on around him.

With well timed defiance, the memory of Kaiya's words jumped into his thoughts as if deliberately mocking him. "Now it's my turn to take control." Mercer's brow furrowed in aggravation, both at the memory itself and at its intrusive resurgence. She had whispered this into his ear as she lay beneath him on the bed before somehow flipping them both around and taking her place on top. "You'll like it, I promise."

And he had liked it. She wasn't wrong. He remembered how she leaned over to speak into his ear, her hands grabbing onto the headboard. "I want to show you what I can do."  _Damn. So much for willpower._ He had let her do it too. The memory of his response made him cringe. "Let's see what you've got then." He remembered putting his hands behind his head, giving her complete dominance of the situation, before encouraging her on. "Have at me."

Mercer's heart dropped into his stomach at the memory of those words. Any hope he had before of gaining leverage was now gone.  _He had relinquished control to her. Let her have it._ As far as he could remember, Mercer had never willingly given control to another person like that. Until her. He wasn't sure what it was about her that made him do it, but it didn't matter. He had. The one person in all of Nirn that had been able to take control of the Guildmaster in any form was now in the Thieves Guild. As his subordinate. At the worst possible time.

He was in trouble. He had to take back his authority, his upper hand. He had to remain dominant, especially now. All he worked for would not pass through his fingers, he was adamant. She was just some Breton! She was nothing! He was the godsdamned Guildmaster! No, she would never get in his head. She had no power over him.

Mercer may be a man but he was nothing like the weak, mindless fools of which he shared ancestry. Oh no, he was so much more than just a man.

* * *

Brynjolf stumbled into the cistern well after most of the guild was asleep. Concentrating hard on not falling into the water, he made his way into the Flagon for one more mead to end his night. His eyes scanned the familiar scenery to find no one else in the bar at that hour except for Mercer, sitting alone at the end of the counter. He lumbered over to sit with his Guildmaster, clumsily plopping onto the stool next to him.

"Mersher, hand me a mead, will ya?" he slurred. Mercer's gaze shot over to the drunk Nord next to him before he handed Brynjolf the mead he had asked for with a heavy sigh.

"Thank youuuuuuu!" he beamed, opening the bottle and taking a sip. "So Merc, whatcha think of the new recruit?" Brynjolf's gaze couldn't quite fix on Mercer's face, his eyes swimming around in their drunkenness.

"Shouldn't you be in a bed somewhere, Brynjolf?" Mercer grumbled. "You're going to end up drowning in the cistern if you keep coming in like this. And you smell like a mead barrel."

"What? Nah I shtill got one more imme, Merc" he slurred. "Hey! You dinn't answer my queshtion!" His finger sloppily pointed at Mercer in accusation.

"What do you want me to say, Bryn? She seems competent?" he growled, not in the mood for this inquisition.

"Thash a start! But thash not wha' I meant," he hiccupped. "Does she look familiar to ya, Merc?"

Mercer felt his blood run cold at Brynjolf's question. Could he possibly have noticed his reaction earlier? Did he know? Did she tell him?

"No, can't say that she does. Why do you ask?" he inquired a little too eagerly, a bit paranoid.

"Cause she should!" Brynjolf grinned, "She's been here befooooore!"

"Cut the crap, Bryn" Mercer snapped. "I'm not in the mood for this."

Brynjolf grinned sloppily, his eyelids drooping. "She shold us the elder's council amu -" he interrupted himself with a hiccup. "The amulet. You remember?"

Mercer froze. He remembered the amulet well, although he had never laid eyes on the one who had sold it to Delvin. He recalled Delvin mentioning that she had been "a looker", but that's not what mattered now.

"So she's in the Dark Brotherhood." It was not a question but a statement of fact. Brynjolf nodded dramatically.

"Yup. But there's more. Delvin told me somethin' else."

"I'm listening." Mercer's patience was running thin.

Brynjolf leaned closer to add dramatic effect, but all it did was irritate the Guildmaster. His second-in-command's charisma may be great for the job but it irritated him to no end. "For gods' sake Brynjolf, spit it out."

"She's not just  _IN_  the Brotherhood, Merc. She  _IS_  the Brotherhood. She's the new Lis'ner" he let out a high pitched giggle at his Guildmaster's stoic reaction before draining the rest of his mead in one gulp. "I will leave you to yer thoughtsh." Brynjolf tapped the rim of his mead bottle against Mercer's before slapping a few septims down on the bar and walking away.

Mercer's mind was racing.  _The Listener!?_  He scoured his memories for what Delvin had told him about the events of the Brotherhood a few months ago. They had come across the amulet as payment for some contract. Astrid had commented to him in private that there was a new Listener, of which she was not thrilled about. Her command was being threatened.  _That sounded familiar._  But then… wasn't there a disaster? Yes, now he remembered…

There had been a terrible betrayal. Astrid had sold out one of her family in order to protect the rest and the deal had backfired tragically. Most of them had died, including Astrid herself. The news had devastated Delvin although few knew or noticed at all. Mercer had been one of the few guild members who had known about his affair with the leader of the Dark Brotherhood and therefore one of the only that knew how personal this loss had been for the old thief. Mercer had only been concerned of the loss of an ally, although Delvin had reassured him that the new leader, the Listener, was willing to keep up the partnership. This Listener was also the one who was rumored to have killed the Emperor of Tamriel. Single handedly.

_It was her. It had been Kaiya the whole time._

This was almost too much information for Mercer to take in on one day. Not only had the woman he had spent a night with a year ago, who he had never truly been able to get out of his head, joined the guild, but this woman was also the Listener of the Dark Brotherhood. The one person he was concerned with exerting authority over was the leader of a group of assassins. She was an assassin. She had killed the Emperor of Tamriel.

And yet, there was another layer of this story hidden underneath that the Guildmaster focused on. If all of this was true and Kaiya was the infamous Listener and famed assassin, then that meant she had lost most of her dark little family. He was willing to bet that was a wound that had not yet scarred over for her. It was probably still open, bleeding and - Mercer smiled at his realization - ripe for exploitation.

_Got her._


End file.
